State takes Medina-based Thrifty Propane back to court over consumer complaints

A Medina County propane supplier with a history of consumer complaints is being sued by the state for the second time since 2016 for "unfair and deceptive" business practices.

Ohio Attorney General's office announced Thursday that it has filed a complaint in Medina County Common Pleas Court citing six violations of the state's consumer protection act by Thrifty Propane Inc. of 2648 Medina Road in Sharon Center. The state is seeking a $25,000 fine for each violation and an unstated amount of restitution for customers.

In a release, Attorney General Dave Yost said the company has been "cheating" consumers.

"Thrifty’s broken promises left some people literally out in the cold," Yost said. "That’s not thrifty; it’s cheating – and we’re taking them back to court again to hold them accountable."

Thrifty did not return messages seeking comment Thursday.

In its complaint, the state alleges Thrifty advertises and sells propane and propane tanks to customers, while at the same time it failed to deliver gas and tanks to customers in accordance with its agreements with them, including some who had paid thousands of dollars in advance. The complaint also accuses the company of being slow to provide refunds and not being accessible to consumers.

Customers under the company's "pre-buy" program are instructed to order more propane when their tanks are at around 30% capacity. Customers alleged that Thrifty either failed to deliver, or did not deliver enough of the gas they had paid for to supply their needs.

In some cases, pre-paid customers were forced to purchase propane at a higher cost from other suppliers when their tanks ran dry, and some − including elderly and disabled customers − were hard pressed to purchase from other suppliers because they had already paid Thrifty for fuel, the complaint states.

"Numerous consumers complained to the Ohio Attorney General's Office that no matter the amount of propane consumers ordered, during winter and spring 2022, Defendant was only delivering 100-150 gallons of propane," the court filing states.

One customer's complaint quoted in the court filing states the company failed to deliver propane for about four weeks in February, while at the same time advertising for even more business.

"They say they have supply issues, but I get an email or text almost daily from them asking us to buy more," the customer stated. "If they can't get propane to deliver to people that have already paid, why are they trying to sell more?"

Another customer ordered a propane tank and gas in April 2021. After over a year of trying to get the tank and propane delivered, the customer requested a refund in May, then filed a complaint with the state in June. The customer received a refund in late August, according to the court filing.

Thrifty Propane's history of complaints goes back years

The Ohio Attorney General's Office in 2016 cited similar complaints from consumers when it sued Thrifty in January of that year. The court in August 2016 ordered Thrifty to pay a $25,000 civil penalty and to cease unfair and deceptive business practices.

But the problems returned with cold weather, when the Better Business Bureau of Akron reported a flood of new complaints beginning in December 2017.

Thrift Propane's history:BBB of Akron notes complaints involving Thrifty Propane Inc.

The BBB said the complaints were primarily from consumers who had ordered propane but did not receive it in a timely manner. The consumers also said they received poor customer service when they tried to contact Thrifty Propane, the BBB said.

“During the arctic blast, many consumers have unfortunately been left in the cold by Thrifty Propane Inc. once again,” the BBB said in a news release.

The state asked the court to find Thrifty in contempt of the 2016 order and in July 2019 Thrifty was fined $75,000 and again ordered to cease committing "unfair, deceptive or unconscionable" business practices. The court also gave the company a specific outline stating how it should conduct business, including time frames for such things as refunds, tank pick-ups in the case of contract cancelations, and communication with customers.

That judgement stated that more than 90% of the propane-related complaints received by the Attorney General's Office in 2019 were against Thrifty.

Multi-state operation, multiple complaints

According to its website, Thrifty serves customers in Delaware, Ohio, Maryland, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Virginia.

According to the Better Business Bureau, the company has an "F" rating, with more than 300 complaints in the last three years, including at least 140 in the last 12 months. However, the BBB also states the company has responded to 100% of complaints.

Christine Kellamis, director of operations of the BBB of Akron, said the complaints come from multiple states.

The most recent complaint on the BBB website, from a customer who purchased propane Aug. 10 and had not received delivery as of Sept. 8, got a response from the company blaming its suppliers.

"As BBB is well aware, our supplier is behind on our transport loads," the company said. "Unfortunately, we are waiting on gas as well as the customers. We are hoping to have all late deliveries cleared up within the next two weeks.

"Unfortunately, I do not have contact information for deliveries, as drivers route themselves by oldest deliveries first the night before delivery. However, after speaking with the driver this morning, he informed me that you were on the schedule for today. Have a great weekend."

It was not clear whether other states have filed consumer complaints against the company. Information on the company, including complaints, can be found by searching for Thrifty Propane Inc. in Medina, Ohio on the Better Business Bureau's website.

Kellamis said that for those who use propane for heat during the winter, the lack of supply is a big concern.

"When you're dealing with propane, you're dealing with one of the basic needs to heat your home," she said. "It's not just that you don't have heat, it's you don't have heat for sick elderly people, or you don't have heat for children."

In the current court filing, the state is asking that a receiver be appointed to conduct Thrifty’s business during litigation, arguing that "the company is incapable of both complying with Ohio law and providing products to consumers in a timely manner," according to the Attorney General's office.

Eric Marotta can be reached at emarotta@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @MarottaEric.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Medina-based Thrifty Propane again faced with consumer complaints